Skerritt dismisses protest as a "Distraction"

St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Tourism Minister Richard Skerritt is describing a demonstration mounted by the Opposition to protest the six month delay in the Motion of No Confidence, as an effort to grab attention away from this year’s Music Festival

Mr. Skerritt made the remarks while responding to a question from a journalist on the island to cover the June 27-29 event. The UK-based journalist asked the Minister if the small protest outside the hotel the day before was related to the Music Festival.

To a soft wave of laughter from some persons in the room, the Minister said he was happy for the question.

“First of all let me apologize for any delays it caused in your arrival. But first of all, I was glad you said a small protest, but it was pretty small, but unfortunate. Let me tell you why. First of all, I’ll describe it as a combination of – to use an international term – ambush marketing, and I’ll use a local term, looking noticement. This was a political party, three of their leaders were there, along with a few other of their either voluntary or paid supporters, who were looking noticement in local terms, and who took the opportunity of this big international event to market themselves and their issues.”

Mr. Skerritt assured the press that the majority of people in the country could do without what he described as a “distraction”

“I want to assure you and your colleagues that people of St. Kitts and Nevis, the vast majority of the people in St. Kitts and Nevis love the Music Festival, love the fact that you have come here, welcome you here and are looking forward to having a fantastic festival devoid of politics, devoid of any other distractions. The people of St. Kitts and Nevis don’t want that kind of distraction at this time.”

About two dozen member of the Opposition People's Action Movement gathered on Wednesday morning outside the Jack Tar hotel where the Prime Minister and other ministers and dignitaries were attending the opening ceremony of a Taiwanese trade show.

Joined later in the day by the People’s Labour Party, the PAM staged a march over the Motion’s delay through the streets of Basseterre, which is estimated to have drawn well over a thousand people. The Federal Opposition filed a Motion of No Confidence in the government some 200 days ago, which has not yet made it before the Parliament.

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Comments

Winn you are unbelievable what happen to freedom of the press and freedom of speech I wrote 3 quote about Ricky and none were publish you cannot show good quote and not the others you are stifling look how you have voices let people speak their mind as long as they do not cuss. Please stop it People are suffering and they need to speak what is on their mind